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Buying a property in Italy

Easy and Understandable Legal Guidance on How to Buy Real Estate in Italy.

Investing in the Italian Property Market

With the help of our qualified lawyers, smoothly navigate the process of purchasing a property in Italy and begin enjoying the benefits of ownership in this dynamic market.

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To request a free consultation case, please provide us with your contact details below and we will contact you via email or phone.

Real Estate lawyers in Italy

There are several ways our real estate lawyers can help you with the purchase of a property in Italy:

Reviewing and explaining legal documents: A lawyer can review and explain any legal documents related to the property, such as the sales contract and title deeds.
Supporting you on the negotiation: A lawyer can support you in the negotiation with the Real Estate agent or the seller’s representative to ensure that your interests are protected.
Checking for any encumbrances on the property: A lawyer can check for any encumbrances, such as liens or mortgages, on the property to ensure that you are not purchasing a property that has outstanding debts.
Assisting with the transfer of ownership: A lawyer can assist with the transfer of ownership of the property from the seller to you, including ensuring that all necessary documents are filed with the appropriate authorities.
Advising on tax implications: A lawyer can advise you on the tax implications of purchasing a property in Italy, including any applicable stamp duty or capital gains tax.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Don’t try to go through the Real Estate process on your own. Seek the help of an experienced real estate lawyer to increase your chances of success and make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

How can I buy the Property?

The main requirement is to provide your “Codice Fiscale” – the Italian Tax ID, and a foreign valid ID card or passport, as this document are unique to each individual and are essential to conduct Real Estate transactions in Italy.

Your Codice Fiscale appears on all documentation you sign or receive in Italy and must be presented to the Notary Public when signing the final deed.

Property investors also advised to to have an Italian bank account and this makes the bureaucracy simpler to navigate and payments more convenient to transfer.

Our Real Estate lawyers can assist you in the process of obtaining a “Codice Fiscale” and setting up an Italian bank account.

What is the process of purchasing a property?

The general procedures is as follows:

Tax and Budget Planning: Taxes and fees are mostly paid by the buyer and vary depending on the type of the property. They typically include the following (whithout fiscal benefits):
- Property transfer tax of 9% (min. € 1.000);
- Notary fees (vary from each professional), title deed tax and land registration fee of either € 50,00 or € 200,00 each;
- VAT of 10% or 22% depending on the type of property and the seller (for new properties only);
Obtain a “Codice Fiscale”: Get your Italian Tax ID.
Search for properties in Italy: Our Real Estate lawyers can help you identify the right property for you and ensure that you use reliable and trusted online portals.
Reservation agreement and Letter of Intent: Our lawyers will draft a “Letter of Intent” for purchasing a property and guide you through the reservation agreement and any subsequent negotiations before signing a deal.
Payment of fees: Settle any applicable Property Transfer Taxes or VAT, and update the Land Registry.

Find you Real Estate Lawyer

Giancarlo Ostetto
Lawyer, Head of Milan Office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can foreigners buy property in Italy?

A foreigner (non-resident in Italy) that wants to buy Real Estate property in Italy has to fulfil the condition of reciprocity belonging to a country that signed an International treaty with Italy. The international treaty that allows the purchase must also authorise the Italian citizen to purchase Real Estate property in that foreign country.

What real estate taxes do I need to pay?

All property owners in Italy must pay different taxes annually.

They are subject Real Estate Tax (IMU) and the Wast Tax (TARI). It’s possible to reduce the amount of the IMU in some special conditions.

Can I get citizenship if I buy a property?

No, although having a property in Italy allows you to solidify your bond with the Italian territory and government and can be a positive asset in a future request of citizenship by residence (about that, check our Naturalisation Page here).

What taxes do I pay when buying a new property?

All new home purcahses are subject to 10% to 22% VAT on the value of the property as well as three different fees of € 200 each.

When buying an existing property, you must pay a Transfer Tax (from 2% to 9%), and two different fees of € 50,00 each.

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Lexidy Legal Tech

4.8

Based on 452 reviews

daveachuk

10:47 24 Mar 23

Alejandro was helping me navigate the process of nueva obra construction to gain Spanish golden visa. He proved to be very knowledgeable and we had a great phone call where I learned more in 20 minutes than I would have from months of internet research. Unfortunately the property I was looking at ended up not being suitable, which was discovered thanks to his due-diligence, so I was not able to go through the entire process, so I can't provide a review of the full legal process. But I'll be engaging with Lexidy again if I find a suitable property for me in the future!

Radostin Denev

09:47 27 Oct 22

Comment from Radostin and Kaloyan Bulgaria:We could recommend working with Lexidy and especially with Juan Diego Muñoz to everyone. Our assessment is defenitely 10 out of 10!Strict professional who cover full end-to-end journey in buying real estate and successful relocation to Spain in our case. We highly appreciate efficient and effective approach and providing us and supporting us in each step of the journey in buying property in Spain. Without support of Juan Diego we would be lost, he provides us with daily support in most critical days before finalization of the deal and also there was not even a single question to which he could not provide us details in most structured way.Thank you Juan Diego Muñoz, thank you Lexidy we will be happy working together in the future.We wish you lots of success in your innovative and trustful approach in supporting your customers in a holistic way.Radostin and Kaloyan

Linda Sparling

15:32 04 Oct 22

I worked with Juan Diego de Muñoz for my real estate lawyer. His help was invaluable to me! He worked with the sellers and real estate agents who were reluctant to engage in the due diligence process for the property I bought. He smoothed that over and helped me obtain a thorough check of my flat and the building it’s in, which yielded important information. Juan Diego made sure my every question and concern were addressed the same day that I raised them. Metaphorically, he held my hand through the whole process, but also made sure I was the one making informed decisions. I highly recommend him and Lexidy Law Boutique!

Symon Blomfield

10:18 26 Aug 22

Lexidy Law - sucessful Non Lucrative Visa assistanceI employed Lexidy Law to assist with applying for my Non-Lucrative Visa, now granted. I also used them to check my property rental contract.Cristina Vizoso was my legal contact and was highly responsive and reassuring.In the future, I will certainly be using Lexidy to assist with my TIE and to apply for an autonomous Visa. I highly recommend them for all your immigration to Spain needs

Kate Busby

10:55 20 Jul 22

Alejandro has been a great help these past years.

Rick Estrada-Stone

15:05 16 Jul 22

We are working with Lexidy for our immigration and real estate needs. Our real estate lawyer, Juan Diego Muñoz, has been amazing to work with throughout the entire process. His diligent communication during the real estate purchase has not only kept us informed every step of the way, but helped us to understand the differences and intricacies of purchasing property in Spain. We can't say enough great things about Juan Diego and the team at Lexidy.

Drew Mendoza

16:12 06 Jul 22

Amazing service from Alejandro initially and then Juan. We were intending to purchase a property in Barcelona and Juan conducted all of the checks to ensure the deal was legitimate - it turned out that it was not as straight forward a transaction as initially expected and Juan helped us to avoid a potential financial disaster. We are so grateful and have 100% confidence in Lexidy's professionalism . We will certainly be using them more in the future and highly recommend them!

Magdalena

12:34 04 Jul 22

I am looking to to buy my first property in Spain and had my intro call with Alejandro today- very pleased with the valuable insights gained and your guidance on the legal aspects of the Spanish property market, sales cycle, mortgage application process and risk mitigation. Alejandro, thank you so much for your advice and invested time, I'm genuinely looking forward to working together on this exciting project:)

Duncan Casemore

08:57 01 Jul 22

My wife, 2 children, and I wanted to move to Spain on a non-lucrative visa to experience something new following a stressful covid period. I had the privilege of working with Max and Gabriela, who were outstanding: Fluent English, nurturing us the whole way from initial sales contact through to landing in Spain, refreshingly responsive (usually within minutes, unlike many legal firms which work in units of days!), deeply knowledgable (added so much more value beyond paperwork), professional, experienced, and couldn't do enough for us. Top marks -- and that's from a customer with high expectations! Thank you for the quality experience and for helping us realise our dreams 🙂

RICHARD BRITTON

21:46 29 Jun 22

We contacted Lexidy Law boutique when we recently moved from Cyprus to open a new chapter in our lives to move into a house in Brittany that we had bought 12 years previously. We had underestimated the twists and turns involved in obtaining residency in France - so we contacted Lexidy Law Boutique and were assigned Eleonore, an immigration lawyer well acquainted with French immigration laws. From the very beginning we realised she was determined that we should have a successful outcome and she guided us expertly to avoid all the pitfalls in the process of applying for residency. She even accompanied us to the prefecture and ensured that everything went smoothly - without her presence we might well have not succeeded.We thank and highly recommend Eleonore and Lexidy Law Boutique.

Irene Riportella

16:12 13 Jun 22

Excelente atención de Alejandro, me indicó todos los procedimientos necesarios para tramitar el NIE y me envió un presupuesto rápidamente. Muchas gracias!

Phil S

20:13 22 May 22

We have just completed the purchase of a new build apartment in Catalunya. Lexidy were recommended to me by a colleague who'd relocated from the US to the Costa Brava. As non Spanish/Catalan speakers, it was a great relief to have people we could trust working on all aspects of the purchase - including arranging a bank account, NIE's and the wifi..! From the initial meeting over Zoom to the final transaction Carlota and Antonia provided first class service and communication. And by providing them with Power of Attorney it meant we could do most of the things we needed to do without leaving the UK.

Pit Rissiek

09:37 19 May 22

Absolutely Professional and worth-it Experience!I can highly recommend working with Carlota Llopart and Lexidy! Carlota and the team have gone beyond my expectations when it comes to owning and actually even driving the steps for my mortgage, the purchase of my flat as well as taxes filed. I have had an extremely difficult seller, but I was able to fully trust the team to guide me through this first acquisition.I have already recommended Lexidy to friends who had similar positives experiences and will continue working with Carlota and the team. Side note, me being German: Great value for money too!

Mariposa Avaria

19:50 05 May 22

Han logrado lo prometido, gracias especialmentea Alejandro

Aleksandar Vorinski

08:12 25 Apr 22

I recently purchased apartment, got NIE and opened bank account with their help. I m satisfied with their service, they are accurate and responsible.

Simone Bech

11:43 22 Mar 22

I hired Alejandro to help me get my NIE. I needed the process to go fast, as my future workplace wanted me to start ASAP. Alejandro promised me that I would get it within 3-8 workdays, and he managed to do so. He made the process sooooo easy for me! I would recommend Alejandro any time.

Michelle Swallow

18:18 25 Sep 21

We recently retained the services of Lexidy Law Boutique to file our non-resident tax returns. As US citizens who own property in Lloret de Mar, Spain we were unfamiliar with the complexities of the Spanish tax system. Fortunately, we were able to benefit from the considerable expertise of Jose Garcia, Head of the Tax Department at Lexidy. He explained the procedure in detail to us and was extremely diligence and thorough throughout the whole process. What could have been a challenging situation for us became a very smooth process because of the expertise and capabilities of Jose Garcia and his staff at Lexidy Law Boutique. I would highly recommend the services of Lexidy Law Boutique.

Matt Pavlovich

11:18 15 Sep 21

A great group of very knowledgable lawyers. They've been very helpful in matters of immigration, international taxation, and real estate. Very highly recommended!

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